Tag: humor

Writing Humor

Writing Tips

A woman in sunglasses laughs on the right side of the image and the left has the post title, writing humor,.

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

One thing that I love about writing cozy mysteries is the ability to integrate humor into the stories.

The amount of humor varies. I still somewhat regret writing A Body at Book Club which has a scene in which I actually laughed out loud while writing (startling the cats and dog around me). Since then, almost every book has at least one customer review that says: “It’s okay. Not as funny as A Body at Book Club.”

I’ve noticed that humor comes easier as a series continues and I know the characters better and better. I think that’s because my humor is all character-based and the set-up for a humorous scene becomes easy when the readers and I know the characters very well. Running gags can be particularly effective over the course of a series. Continue reading

How to Write a Humorous Memoir

Uncategorized, Writing Tips

By Steven R. Leonard, 

“Those were the best days of my life.”    Bryan Adams in “Summer of ‘69”

  1. THE FUNNIEST STORIES DON’T NEED TO BE EMBELLISHED MUCH – THEY REALLY HAPPENED

We all remember three or four stories from our childhood that always bring laughter to a dinner party – whether it’s about the time you barged in on your semi-naked parents having sex in an empty bathtub or when you caught the prissy librarian picking her nose when she thought no one was looking – the most farcical humor is based on true events. Readers can detect unrealistic dialogue and forced situations – just recount the story as it unfolded. Blurting out the punch line before starting the chapter never works, so don’t skimp on important details leading up to the climactic deus ex machina in reverse.Continue reading

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